Metering panel boards



May 11 1926.

O. 3. JENNINGS ,METERING PANEL BOARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 10.1922 s INVENTOR Obi er 6. J/m

ATTORNEY .May 11 1926. 1,584,544

0. 8. JENNINGS w METERING PANEL BOARDS Filed March 10. 1922 2Shets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2.

. l I I WITNESSES: INVENTOR 51% @WK. o/ v p ad's/min s.

Patented May 11, 1926,.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

OLIV ER S. JENNINGS, OI 'WILKINSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB 1'0WESTING- HOUSE- ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN-'BYINANIA.

METERING PANEL BOARDS.

Application filed March 10, 1922. sci-m N'o. 542,741.

My invention relates to metering panel housing and the metering bars aredisposed in a separate housing which may be located at a remote point.

Another object of my invention is to provide a metering panel whereinthe panels for the branch-line control mechanism.are so disposed as toprovide a wiring gutter between them in which the conductors forselectively connecting the metering bars to the various branch circuitsmay be disposed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a metering panel, havingthe above characteristics, wherein the neutral bus bar of a three-wirecircuit is supported above the wiring gutter by bridging connectors andsupported clear of the insulated conductors disposed in the wiringgutter.

These and other objects, that will be made apparent throughout thefurther description of my invention, are attained by means of theapparatus hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of the metering panel mechanism showing themain and auxiliary housings with their main covers re- .moved; I

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the main housing taken on theline 11-11 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a transversesection through the auxiliary housing taken on theline IIIIII of Fig. 1.

In my co-pending application Serial No. 540,247, (Case 9087), filedMarch 1, 1922, I have shown a metering-panel mechanism wherein themetering bars are disposed in the housing containing the main feedterminals and the branch-circuit-controlling mechanism. In certaininstallations, it is expedient to locate the metering bars at a pointremote from the switch panel, in which case rovision must be made forthe conductors or selectively connecting the branch circuits to thedesired meters.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a wiringgutter between the rows of panels containing the branch circuit switchesand fuses.

The panel mechanism includes a main hous ng 4 and an auxiliarymetering-bar hous1ng5 that may be located at any desired point remotefrom the main housing or in a different room. The main housing 4comprises a'rectangular housing having a bottom (plate 3 and side walls6 that are provide with flanges 7 to which a cover 8 is secured. Thehousing is divided into an inner panel compartment 9 and a wiring gutter10 which completely surrounds the comartment by a rectangular partition11.

The mam feed terminals 12, 13 and 14 are dlsposed in the panelcompartment 9 and are adapted to be attached to the main feed conductors(not shown). The terminals 12 and 13 are provided with a plurality ofbranch conductors 30 and 40, respectively, each of which is connected tothe current coil 16 of separate meters 17 The conductors 30 and 40extend along the wiring gutters 10 at opposite sides of the housing andproject through outlet bushings 18 provided in the sides 6 of thehousing. A separate meter is provided for each branch conductor 14 and15 and the feed current passes therethrough to the current coils of themeter and thence, by means of conductors 19, to separate meter bars 20that are disposed longltudinally of the housing 5.

The switch and fuse panels 21, one for each branch circuit, are mountedside by side in rows on opposite sides of the housing and are sodisposed as to provide a space constituting a wiring gutter 22 betweenthem. Each panel is provided with a switch 23 which, as shown, is of thetumbler type and a pair of fuse receptacles 24 that are adapted toreceive fuses 25 of the screw-plug type, as indicated in Fig. 2.However, receptacles containing cartridge fuses may be used. Theswitches are of the two-pole type and are provided with auxiliary feedterminals 26 and 27 and load terminals 28 and 29 to which the loadconductors 31 and 32 are respectively connected. The conductors projectthrough the partition walls 11 into the adjacent wiring gutter 10 andextend exteriorly of the housing through the bushings 18.

The feed terminal 14 is connected to a feed bus bar 33 that extendslongitudinally of the housing 4 and along the central wiring gutter 22,and is supported in spaced relation with respect to the bottom 3 of thehousing by means of conductive bridges 34 that serve to support the busbar and to connect the corresponding terminals 27 of each panel thereto.The bridges 34 are of 1nverted U-shape and, consequently, support thebus bar at a point above the upper faces of the panels, therebyproviding ample space beneath the bus bar 33 in which conductors 35,that are connected to the auxiliary feed terminals26, may extend. Theconductors 35 are insulated and extend exteriorly of the housing throughthe two bushings 18 and are provided with terminals 36 that areconnected to cross conductors 37 that extend transversely across themetering bars 20 in the auxiliary housing 5.

The bars 37 are mounted, at one end, on the terminals 36 and, at theother end, upon insulating pedestals 38 and are disposed above the bars20, as indicated in Fig.

3. Each bar is provided with a sliding contact member 39 having a pairof flexible contact jaw members 41 that are adapted to yieldingly engageopposite sides of any selected metering bar 20. The sliding contactmember 39 is disengaged from the bars by 'a turning movement whichwithdraws the contact jaws out of engagement with the bars. It will beseen, therefore, that any conductor 35 may be selectively connected toany preferred metering bar. Any branch circuit may, therefore, beconnected to any selected meter by connecting its respective contactmember 39 with a metering bar that is connected to the selected meter.

The panels 21 are mounted upon Z-bars 42 and 43 which serve to supportthe panels in spaced relation with respect to the bottom of the housing,the latter serving to constitute, together with the adjacent ends of thepanels, a deep Wiring gutter having a portion of greater width at thebottom thereof in which the wires 35 may be disposed. It will beapparent that the wiring gutter is of such size as to accommodate aconsiderable number of wires and, consequently, any desired number ofpanels may be accommodated, only two, however, being shown for thepurpose of illustration.

The circuit through the metering mechanism is as follows: current flowsfrom the feed conductor 13 through the branch feed conductor 40 to thecurrent coil 16 of the meter 17, thence through conductor 19, meteringbar 20, sliding contact member 39, cross bar 37, terminal 36, conductor35, auxiliary feed terminal 26, one of the switch arms of the switch 23,fuse 25, load conductor 31 through the load to conductor 32, loadterminal 29, fuse terminal 25, the other switch arm of the switch 23,the auxiliary feed conductor 27, the bridge 34 to the new tral bus bar33 that is connected to the terminal 14.

Access to the live terminals and the exposed bus bar is preventedy bymeans of a pan 44 that is mounted in the compartment 9 upon pedestals45. The pan is provided with openings 46 through which the operatinghandles 47 of the switches project. The pan is closed by means of acover 48 which is hinged to a main door 49 that, in turn, is hinged tothe cover 8. The door 49 covers the inner panel compartment. The fuses25 are accessible only when the door 49 is opened. Access may be had tothe wiring gutters by removing the cover 8.

While I have described and illustrated but one embodiment of myinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variouschanges, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may bemade in the apparatus illustrated without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Metering-panel mechanism comprising a housing, a pair of paneldevices having current-controlling members thereon connected to a loadcircuit and to auxiliary feed terminals and so disposed in the housingas to provide a central wiring gutter between the panel devices,metering bars, a feed bus bar extending along the central Wiring gutter,a conductive support for connecting an auxiliary feed terminal to thebus bar and for supporting the bus bar above the wiring gutter, andinsulated conductors connected to auxiliary feed terminals and extendingalong the central wiring gutter and having means whereby the may beconnected to any selected metering ar.

2. Metering-panel mechanism comprising a pair of panel devices havingcurrent-controlling members thereon connected to a load circuit and toauxiliary feed terminals and so disposed as to provide a central wiringgutter between the panel devices, a feed bus bar extending along thecentral wiring gutter, a conductive support for connecting an auxiliaryfeed terminal to the bus bar and for supporting the bus bar between thepanel devices, metering bars and an insulated conductor connected to oneof the auxiliary feed terminals and having means whereby it may beconnected to any selected metering bar.

3. Metering-panel mechanism comprising a housing, a pair of paneldevices having current-controlling members thereon connected to a loadcircuit and to auxiliary feed terminals and so disposed in the housingas to provide a central wiring gutter between the panel devices, barextending along the central wiring gutter, a conductive support forconnecting corresponding auxiliary feed terminals of the panel devicesto the bus bar and for metering bars, a feed bus supporting the bus barbetween the panel devices, and insulated conductors connected toauxiliary feed terminals and extending along the central wiring gutterand having means whereby they may be connected to any selected meteringbar.

4. Metering-panel mechanism comprising a housing, a pair of paneldevices having current-controlling members thereon connected to a loadcircuit and to auxiliary feed terminals and so disposed in the housingas to provide a central wiring gutter between the panel devices,metering bars disposed exteriorly of the housing, a feed bus barextending along the central wiring gutter, a conductive support forconnecting an auxiliary feed terminal to the bus bar and for supportingthe bus bar above the wiring gutter, and insulated conductors connectedto auxiliary feed terminals and extending along the central wiringgutter and having means whereby they may be connected to any selectedmetering bar.

5. Metering-panel, mechanism comprising a pair of panel deviceshavingcurrent-controlling members thereon connected to a load circuit and toauxiliary feed terminals and sodisposed as to provide a central wiringutter between them for receiving insulate conductors, a main feed busbar extending along the wiring gutter and a conductive support ,forsupporting the bus bar and electrically connecting it to correspondingauxiliary feed terminals of the panel devices.

6. Metering-panel mechanism com rising a housing, a pair of paneldevices aving current-controlling members thereon connected to a loadcircuit and to auxiliary feed terminals and so disposed in the housingas to provide a central wirin gutter between the panel devices, main feeterminals in the housing, a permanent bus bar connected to one of themain feed terminals and extending along the central wiring gutter, aconductive bridge for connecting corres onding auxiliary feed terminalsto the bus ar, meters connected to one of the main feed terminals,metering bars disposed exterior of the housing and connected to separatemeters and insulated conductors connected to one of the auxiliary feedterminals and extending along the central wirin utter beneath theconductive support an aving means whereby they may be connected to anyselected meterin bar.

7. Metermg-panel mechanism comprising a housing h-avm conductor outlets,a plurality of panel evices having current-controlhng members thereonconnected. to load terminals and to auxiliary feed terminals andsodisposed in the housing as to provide side wiring gutters between thehousing walls and the panel devices and a central wiring gutter betweenthe panel devices, main feed terminals in the housing, a permanent busbar connected to no of the main feed terminals and extending along thecentral wiring gutter, a conductive bridge for connecting correspondingauxiliary feed terminals to the bus bar, insulated conductors connectedto one of the main feed terminals and extending along one of the sidewiring gutters to one of the said outlets, load conductors connected tothe load terminals and extending along one of the side wiring gutters tothe said outlet and insulated metering bars disposed exteriorly of thehousing and insulating conductors connected tothe auxiliary feedterminals and extending along the central wiring gutter and to one ofthe said outlets and having means for connecting to any selectedmetering bar.

8. Metering-panel mechanism com rising a housing, a plurality of paneldevices aving current-controlling members thereon connected to a loadcircuit and to auxiliary feed terminals and so disposed as to provide aspace between them, supports extending transversely of the panel devicesand in spaced relation with respect to the bottom of the housing and forconstituting together with the ends of the panel devices a centralwiring gutter, a main feed bus bar extending along the wiring gutter,conductive bridge members for connecting ct rresponding auxiliaterminals to the bus bar and for supporting the bus bar above the panelmembers whereby ample clearance is provided for metering conductors inthe wiring gutter.

9. In a metering panel, the combination with a support, a pair of spacedpanel devices mounted thereon having circuit-controlling elementsthereon provided with terminal members, and a permanent bus barextending between the panel devices, of conducting means for supportingthe bus bar in spaced relation with respect to the bottom of t e housingand for connecting corresponding terminals of the opposite panel devicesand insulated conductors connectedto other of the said terminal membersand extending beneath the said supporting means and between the saidpanel device.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th dayof February 1922.

' OLIVER S. JENNINGS.

